


What would I do without you?

by Anomely



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Canon Divergence, M/M, Other, slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anomely/pseuds/Anomely
Summary: A weak attempt at humour on Kabuto's side and Orochimaru taking it way too seriously...?
Relationships: Orochimaru & Yakushi Kabuto, Orochimaru/Yakushi Kabuto
Comments: 8
Kudos: 58





	What would I do without you?

**Author's Note:**

> I hereby break my almost 10 years of fanfiction publishing abstinence.  
> Greetings to my fellow Kabuto enthusiasts,[ approximately ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/approximately) and [mushroom_goat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mushroom_goat)!  
> A special thanks to the lovely [flower_dragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flower_dragon) who beta-read for me. ♥  
> This is not canon-compliant and a bit ooc. It starts with Kabuto at the age of 19.

Kabuto was slowly making his way from the kitchen to Orochimaru’s chambers.  
On a wooden tray he carried a hot cup of ginger and honey infused water.  
Not that his superordinate had specifically asked for it, but he did not have to.  
After today’s failed attempts and relentless tries to save the experiment, Orochimaru had retired to his room in an exhausted state.  
Kabuto, after four years as his assistant, had picked up on the irregular breath and barely noticeable trembling of the other’s hands as signs of exhaustion.  
He also knew that Orochimaru would have diffulties falling asleep.  
Since hot tea with honey always seemed to calm his nerves, Kabuto thought his master would appreciate something that might help him find sleep.  
When he arrived at his destination, he opened the chamber’s doors without knocking or announcing himself.  
It was an unspoken rule among Orochimaru’s subordinates that only his right hand was allowed in the vicinity of his private rooms.  
He silently walked in and placed the cup of tea on the bedroom table.  
Orochimaru, already sitting on his bed and partially covered by a blanket, looked up from a scroll he was reading.  
  
“The equipment is all cleaned and stored away. I have organized the files you worked on today and put the reports you still need to fill out on the desk,“ Kabuto listed as he started to assemble the dishes on Orochimaru’s commode. The latter exchanged the scroll with the cup of tea and observed his subordinate.  
“Ah, Kabuto, what would I do without you?“, he asked and let out a short chuckle before taking a tentative sip of the beverage.  
Without interrupting what he was doing, Kabuto dryly replied: “Find a wife, settle down and have children?“  
He half-expected to be scolded for his weak attempt at humour, half-expected another chuckle.  
When Orochimaru did not respond however, Kabuto, holding a tray with the dishes all smartly assembled in his arms, turned to look at him.  
To his surprise, Orochimaru seemed completely lost in thought.  
Kabuto wondered what the hell he had done now but knew it was probably better to not interrupt the _genius‘_ mind at work.  
Whenever Orochimaru stared in the distance, motionless as he was right now, it was wise to withdraw.

As Kabuto started to walk towards the door, the Sannin’s thoughts seemed to refocus on the present. Orochimaru put the cup to his lips, nipping at the tea another time. Kabuto patiently waited in the doorframe whether the other still had something to say.  
He noticed how his superior’s features seemed more relaxed than when he had left for his rooms two hours ago. After taking another sip, Orochimaru spoke up again.  
“I doubt I could find a woman who wants to marry me, much less carry my children. And for all I know, I might very well be infertile.“  
For a second, Kabuto was mildly shocked the other could have taken that ironic proposition seriously. Then, he remembered that it was Orochimaru he was talking to, a man who enjoyed theories and hypotheticals no matter how absurd.  
He bowed his head, smiling. “I am certain you would find a way.“  
With that, he left his master’s chambers.

**~20 years later~**

Kabuto did not expect to hear from Orochimaru again after the war. The other had left him, and they had not spoken another word for the past 14 years.  
In the beginning, Kabuto had felt abandoned yet somehow been consoled by the knowledge that Orochimaru was still alive and basically indestructible.  
After some time though, he had grown accustomed to the free space Orochimaru left in his mind without experiencing that horrible feeling of a void where there used to be something. Accustomed did not mean he liked it. Sometimes he still thought of their time together and how smoothly it all went until Sasuke turned up.  
But even then, working together had been such an intuitive and effortless process.

In the orphanage, nothing ever seemed to go smoothly, and working there certainly was not effortless.  
After another day of feigning unwavering patience and calmly answering the children’s whiny questions on why there was not enough money to build a swimming pool in the garden, Kabuto had taken a walk to calm down before going to bed. It was then when a small snake had appeared in front of him and given him a note.  
It contained a request to meet with his former master. At first, Kabuto had been very cautious, fearing it might be a trap.  
Now, he was secretly accompanying Orochimaru to one of his old hideouts where the other had established his main residence.

Like him, Orochimaru had been kind of forced by Konoha to stay in certain places. Yet he did not seem as restricted regarding his activities as Kabuto was.  
The reason for Kabuto’s visit was, as Orochimaru explained to him, that he needed a trustworthy and experienced medic to examine his freshly artificially created child Mitsuki and to give an opinion on his health and eventual risks.  
Kabuto could not say that the news about Orochimaru creating his own artificial children shocked him. With all the progress the Sannin made on his past experiments and given the time; such a thing was not a question of ability.  
Nonetheless, Kabuto did not know why Orochimaru had created them.  
He found it difficult to imagine the other interacting with his own children, caring for them.

„I would have never thought you might have taken my advice back then that seriously.“  
Orochimaru threw him a side-glance that could have meant all sorts of things and Kabuto felt inclined to elaborate.  
„You kind of settled down and you had children, artificial as their creation was.“  
The older man seemed to understand and a smile slowly spread on his newly youthful features.  
„I suppose, I have.“  
They continued to walk down the long floors of which Kabuto vaguely remembered the layout.   
He used to be able to draw a map of each hideout from his head but apparently that skill had subsided. After a while, Orochimaru began to raise his voice again.  
„I still lack one thing though. A wife.“  
Kabuto reacted without missing a beat. „Oh, come on. We have basically been married for 22 years.“  
For a second, Orochimaru looked as startled as Kabuto felt himself about making that odd statement. Then, he started to chuckle like he always had.  
„25 years Kabuto, of which the past 14 years separated, several months in your head and you never cease to surprise me.“  
„I live to serve, Orochimaru-sama.“

**Bonus:**  
“I am glad you see it that way, Kabuto”, Orochimaru later told him. “It is safe to assume then that you have no objections regarding the fact that I used your normal and your altered DNA to create my children. Or should I say ‘our children’? Honestly, it would not have been possible without you.”  
Kabuto massaged his temples. The urge to choke Orochimaru had returned.


End file.
